The Trials and Tribulations of a Wookiee
by NightElfCrawler
Summary: Katarra has not had an easy life. Born different, losing her family to genocide and being sold as a slave... this is her story of perserverence and tenacity, her life and growth, and her journey to hunt down the one responsible for her family's murder.
1. Chapter 1

**The Trials and Tribulations of a Wookiee**

By Nightelfcrawler

_Author's Note: This is my first published Star Wars fic. The story does not mesh with any Extended Universe, but is rather my take on things that occurred after Return of the Jedi. This story focuses on my original character Katarra, and her life, more specifically crafted around the Star Wars Combine. Read and review if you like, but please no nitpicking, flames or grammar corrections._

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**Chapter 1: The Shadow Forest**

The distant howl of some predator broke the silence of the woods as her head jerked up in alarm. It was still distant, far out of range of her scent no doubt, but the fact that she heard it sent chills rippling down her spine. Quickly, another log was added to the small fire cradled within the hollow stump of a dead tree, the only way to hide the tell-tale light in this dim dreary atmosphere. Though it was not yet night, it was near impossible to tell within the darkness that swallowed all shadows and hid those which hunted here. She was an easy target, not only with the fire she had carefully hidden, but there was little one could do to hide the bright white which shrouded her entire body.

She threw another log at the fire with a low growl. It was that very color that cursed her, that had ended in her exile.

She was one of the few rare of her kind born with a disability: white fur. White fur was extremely unfortunate for Wookiees who relied on their brown coloring to blend in with the tall wroshyr trees to avoid predators and hunt. White stood out like a sore thumb. One might have thought that this alone would have been enough, however there had been a few others born with such a disability before who lived long and happy lives with family. Katarra was not one such Wookiee.

Though in this dark tangle of overgrown brush and foliage, her fur appeared more a dingy gray than the brilliant white it should be. Of course, it had been ages since she had the luxury of a bath. Swamp water was not the cleanest to use for such a manner. Yet, hiding down here within the grime and filth was a far better choice than to return back top-side where she was shunned, cursed and hunted.

Yes, voluntary banishment seemed mild in comparison.

Bright blue eyes casually studied the flickering flames hidden within the stump, watching the embers rise briefly before dying a short distance into the air, the dark smoke blending in well with the gloom all about. A small waft of wind touched the smoke, scattering it into a whirling pattern of wisps. Immediately, Katarra's hand tightened around the knife at her belt as her blue eyes slid sharply to the right.

There was no wind down in the Shadow Forest. Such natural gusts did not penetrate the thick foliage of the wroshyr trees above. Something was here. Or someone.

Despite standing out among her brethren, Katarra was no less sharp-sighted than the rest of her kind. She spotted the shadowy figure long before it realized it had been spotted. It was smaller than her, but that did not necessarily mean it was no threat. Ferocity could come in small packages. Expertly she entwined her dexterous fingers around the knife, lifting it out of her belt and waited. If it were a predator, it would circle to her back first.

A sneeze rang out loudly through the small copse. Katarra blinked. That was no predator. Sure enough, a moment later a small figure stumbled out into the light of the fire, and though the wookiee did not relax, she released the grip she held on her knife.

A human girl barely out of cub stage blinked disoriented by the sudden light she had stumbled into. She appeared far more filthy than Katarra herself was, covered in dried and damp mud, hair stringy and caked back, clothing lacking color and distinction. The only splash of light came from unusually green eyes that blinked curiously around as she studied the area she had arrived at. Moments later, those eyes paused as they landed on the bright blue gaze of the wookiee sitting beneath the roughly woven blanket thrown casually over her shoulders. A bit thrown by finding another sentient being there, the girl took a small step back. "Um…" Green eyes quickly darted about to confirm that the wookiee was alone before returning to the unblinking gaze. "I'm sorry… I saw a light…" The girl nervously swallowed, her throat dry, but this didn't prevent her from taking a hesitant step forward. "…would… would you mind…?"

Blue eyes studied her intently wordlessly. The girl appeared emaciated and without a weapon, hardly a threat. However, Katarra also knew looks could be deceiving. But she had never been a sentient to turn another being down. She gave a low whuff and inclined her head towards the fire in a welcoming gesture.

Immediately the girl seemed to relax. A grateful smile spread across her face as she approached the fire and sank down to her knees, placing her hands closer to the warmth of the flame. "Thank you." She said, clearly grateful. "You have no idea what I've been through…" She paused and glanced over the muck caked in the wookiee's fur. "…then again maybe you do, if you've been down here a while." Katarra made no reply. She had never been one to speak unless she had something worthy of being heard, and in this day and age there were still a majority of humans who did not understand Shiryywook. The girl must have known this, as she quickly made up for the lack of response by sitting back on her heels and smiling towards the wookiee. "I'm Shiree. I'm sorry I don't understand your language… but I'm guessing you understand me, right?" Katarra responded with a small nod, to which Shiree smiled. "That makes it easy. You're the first person I've seen down here. You have NO idea how glad I am to see you…" She shuddered involuntarily, wrapping her muddy arms around her thin frame. "No offense… but I hate this place."

Katarra chuckled lightly, as Shiree smiled to find her words hadn't offended the wookiee. The Shadowlands were not a favorite place even for the wookiees, though it was often revered for it's challenge towards hunters. Few wookiees ever ventured down here after their coming of age, a place only the banished ventured as they had no other place to go. A place of darkness, of death. There was no offense in hating such a place, even for a human. Instead, Katarra leaned forward and pulled the rough blanket off of her large frame and tossed it towards the shivering human who had no fur to protect her from the chill of the forest.

Shiree caught it awkwardly, giving her a grateful smile before wrapping it doubly around herself. She nearly vanished in it's voluminous depths, but her shivering soon ceased. "Thank you." She said softly. "You're very kind. I…. Don't suppose you have any food or water?" Her eyes lowered as if in shame for being forced to ask such a thing.

A small water skin landed in the human's lap, followed by a thick leather bag filled with dried meat. With hardly a glance towards her host, Shiree dove into the food and drink with vigor. It was only once she had her fill that she finally sighed and addressed her companion. "I owe you so much… thank you sir."

Katarra snorted loudly and let out a small quiet bark of amusement. At Shiree's pause and confused expression, she shook her head once, and pointed towards the human.

"Er…" Shiree said, clearly thrown. After a moment's thought, she blinked. "Oh… I see. It's ma'm then?" At the resulting nod, she smiled. "I apologize. I suppose I haven't met many female wookiees… and I'm not sure how to… er… Tell you apart." Katarra snorfled an amused chuckle, grinning widely towards the ignorant human. This wasn't the first time she had run into this. She was used to it. Shiree responded by smiling and leaning back against the curve of a small tree nearest the dead stump. "Bet you're wondering why I'm here, right? A random human in the woods…" She smiled wryly as she seemed to find the situation amusing. "My ship crashed some distance from here…" Her eyes lowered again, abruptly appearing somber. "…the pilot died… And I don't know how to fix the ship…" She shuddered, wrapping her arms deeper in the blanket. "I was just traveling. There were others with me, but they didn't want to leave the ship… But no one came to find us like they thought, I don't think there was anyone to see us crash. I decided to go looking… I thought there might be someone down here…" She looked up uncertainly. "I knew it was a long shot, but I was going to be back by nightfall… But…" She trailed off again, this time sinking lower into the blankets, her eyes misting over. "When I got back… they were gone. There was some blood… and signs of a fight. I think one of the animals had gotten them… It probably was attracted by the crash…" Katarra's eyes softened a bit as she listened to the story. She'd learned not to trust people at their word, but what harm could such a story be in a place as this? The girl was clearly defenseless and starved. It had probably been days since she'd left her ship, and finding food down here took skill which one such as her clearly lacked. "I guess I thought maybe I could find a way to climb a tree… but they're so big… And I'm not too good with heights."

Katarra snorted a bit and shifted so she was half-leaning against the tree. It was no surprise to her, but she wasn't sure how she could help the human out. She could theoretically take her to where a village was, if she remembered. The problem was down here there was no map to the areas above, and she was in unfamiliar territory. If they were lucky some marks would be on trunks directing them, if not they were both out of luck. In addition, she had no desire to risk being executed by surfacing in an unknown village. She had no friends there. Theoretically there was a tribe that lived near the shore, but that was a very far distance from here. Still, she had no particular destination in mind, and was not the kind of creature to simply leave the girl to fend for herself.

There was another option.

She turned her gaze back to the girl and wondered if it were possible. It depended how badly damaged the ship was, but it was worth a shot. If she could repair it then the girl would have a way off the planet. But there also was the issue of piloting it. She had no desire to leave her home world, but if Shiree couldn't pilot a ship, she might have to assist. It was an issue to think over while they rested.

Katarra kept watch most of the night, knowing the young human needed her rest. She slept soundly through the entire night, even when Katarra was alerted to the presence of a kkekkrrg rro as it prowled about. However, seeing an alert adult wookiee ready to fight sent it scuttling back into the darkness with no meal. The girl would have been easy prey, fortunate for her she had ample protection this night. Katarra took a few naps here and there, but was always fully alert the moment she sensed a presence. Wookiees had an innate ability to know their surroundings, having grown up and lived amidst their home forest all their lives they knew what sounds to listen for. Katarra especially was in tune to the dangers the Shadowlands presented. She had been fortunate not to run into some of the more dangerous beasts that roamed the depths, and those whom she had encountered usually ended with a bowcaster to the gut. She was not an unskilled opponent.

Needless to say, by the time Shiree sleepily blinked awake after resting for hours, Katarra had driven away any threat, and waited calmly by the fire roasting a few mallakin over the fire. "Is it morning?" She murmured, gazing upwards at the dim shadows of the trees that surrounded them, no more light penetrating the gloom now than before. "It's impossible to tell here…"

Katarra shrugged slightly. She herself had no concept of day or night anymore. She had been down here too long. The predators made no distinction, they hunted when hungry, slept when tired. There was no nocturnal cycle here, as it was constantly night this far down. Instead, she pointed at the roasting fowl and plucked one off the fire, holding the stick out to the human. Shiree took it and sniffed lightly, making a face. "Smells awful… you're sure it's edible?" Katarra took her own and nipped a bite off, made a face and shrugged. Shiree sighed. "Right. Tastes like crap, but it's food." She tentatively nibbled on a cooler portion of the bird and did her best not to show how bland and plain it tasted. Nothing this far down had much in the desirable palate of fine cuisine. "Thank you." She said, aware that while it might not taste good, it would keep her alive. "You've done so much for me already." The young girl paused, then looked hesitantly at the white wookiee. "I don't suppose I could ask you for one more favor…?" Katarra paused in her meal to listen, chewing at a bite of the mallakin. "I don't suppose you know anything about fixing and flying a ship? Or could you find a way to get me to the surface where I could get a ride somewhere?"

Katarra considered that. She was no ship mechanic by far, but nearly all wookiees had some basic knowledge of mechanics. Most of the younger generation spent time off-world learning ship repairs or other mechanical work. She herself had experience with many different kinds of ships, but it just depended how much damage Shiree's vessel had. Nonetheless, she had no intention of leaving her here to fend for herself. If it meant getting her to a village, so be it. She growled low and nodded once to the human. Shiree was immediately visibly relieved. "Thank you so much! I owe you everything… I swear, I'll find some way to repay you for all your help!" Katarra merely shrugged lightly and continued with her meal. She was not one who enjoyed lavish praise, deserved or not. Egos were for those who were insecure about themselves.

The two finished their meal, drank the water that Katarra had left in her water skin, and packed up. The wookiee expertly snuffed the fire out, effectively plunging them into near darkness. Shiree quickly found it was best to hover close to her protective bodyguard as they began to make their way back towards her crashed ship. According to the human it had taken her about a week of wandering. Katarra had more skill in direction and in tracking, so she estimated it would take them three to four days if they were lucky.

It only took them two.

The first sign that they were on the right track was the obvious wide path they stepped out into abruptly without warning. Katarra looked up, peering intently into the gloom. There were missing branches, disturbed spider webs and vines missing from their usual hanging vantage, and charred moss on the trees. After carefully studying the path, Katarra headed directly towards the direction the ship must have taken, traveling at a steep downward angle. It didn't take them long to make their way through the thick forest. Soon enough, they pushed aside the branches to find a crashed freighter in a small muddy crater. It was an older model, small and used clearly for it's speed and size. It had somehow miraculously managed to avoid plunging into the thick bog everywhere, and landed on a harder spit of land, therefore had not sunk down into the ground. It would be easy to jolt free, if she could repair the damage.

"Finally." Shiree said softly, sighing in relief. "I thought we might never find it again… I was confused when I ran…" Katarra growled low, not bothering to comment if the human couldn't understand her, and instead crouched to the ground, studying the area carefully for tracks. Shiree started down, but a quick paw stopped her. "What's wrong?" Katarra nodded, pointing a claw towards tracks clearly visible even to human eyes. "Oh…" she whispered, kneeling down beside her and nervously glancing to and fro, as if the creature were watching them. "Is it dangerous?" Katarra frowned and squinted carefully at the tracks. They were days old, with the smell of stale blood. This matched with what Shiree had told her about her comrades who had befallen one of the carnivorous species. It looked like urnsori tracks… it was rare that these creatures ventured to the Shadow Forest, but not unheard of. Normally they preferred to lurk within range of wookiee hunting territories with hopes of getting some tasty prey, but in some areas of Kashyyyk Katarra had heard that they exclusively lived in the lower forest. The tracks were certainly big enough, and the amount of blood told it was a vicious attack. She gestured for the human to stay put, and slowly crept out into the small clearing made by the ships crash-landing. She listened intently, and studied the tracks, completing a circuit around the ship. When finally she returned, she was satisfied it was safe, and stood tall, striding calmly back towards the human. Shiree came to her, glancing about nervously. "Is it safe?" At the wookiee's nod, she sighed shakily. "Thank goodness… Let's get inside… I'll feel safer knowing they can't get at us in the ship."

It wasn't hard to jump the cables at the docking control. The ramp came down easily, showing the ship still had ample power. This was a good sign, and Shiree quickly darted inside the freighter as Katarra closed the door securely behind them and began her diagnostic. The pilot had been skilled enough to land the ship without causing major damage, from what Katarra had seen on the outside. There was some minor hull damage, but nothing stood out as irreparable to her. She made a point of going to the cockpit to do an immediate diagnostic while Shiree went to clean up with some pressurized shower facilities. Katarra longed to do the same, but finding out what kind of work she had to do was the priority for now. As it turned out it was only some minor re-wiring that appeared to be malfunctioning. Power supply was good, but the engines weren't kicking over. They showed no damage, but it was likely some torn cables or jarred chips in the computer keeping the connection from being made. She'd have to get into the belly of the access ports to find out for sure.

Fortunately they had plenty of time. No creature was going to be able to sniff their scents from within the ship, and there was no creature strong enough to break it's way into the ship without serious force. They were safe.

Once Shiree finished cleaning, Katarra took her turn if only to get the gunk off her fur so she didn't muck up the lines as she went crawling about. Soon enough, she was hard at work, not at all minding having to squeeze into narrow access ports to get at what she needed to. This brought back memories all right.

Katarra grunted as she pulled free the hydro spanner from where it had been jammed in the access panel and studied the configuration one last time. Satisfied, she shut the hatch and strode back towards the cockpit. That should just about do it. She squeezed through the small hatch that entered the human-sized pilot's area and pushed her large frame into the too-small chair and deftly flicked the engine switch. The light came on green.

"_Finally." _It had only taken two days to fix the damage, and by now Shiree had perked up considerably around her large companion, becoming quite friendly and helpful. Katarra had also relaxed slightly, though the human couldn't understand her it still helped to speak out loud to voice her thoughts.

"Did it work?" Shiree poked her head in hearing the rumbling growl. Upon seeing the green light on the dash and the subsequent grin of her comrade, she smiled. "Great! Good work!"

"_Nothing to it. Just had to fix that damage in the hull. The rest was just wiring."_ Katarra growled, knowing the human couldn't understand her, but it helped a bit to just say it out loud. _"Now all we have to do is get this bucket of bolts off the ground."_

Shiree smiled and sank into the co-pilot's seat watching as she began to fire up the engines one-by-one. Each one went on with a roar, until the board was lit up with the back-ups as well as primary systems all in the green. The ship was ready to go. "Thank you so much… you've worked so hard for me, and asked nothing in return."

Katarra just snorted in return, starting the initial warm-up sequence for take-off. They'd been over this before.

However, the next words made her blood freeze.

"I'm afraid, though… I haven't been entirely truthful." Katarra's eyes snapped up as her paw hesitated over the last switch. Blue met green eyes as she stared intently up at the human standing next to her. Shiree's eyes were somber, her face lacking the childish cheer it had held these last few weeks. Instead, she appeared older, more reserved, and her eyes stared down knowingly at the wookiee. "I apologize for deceiving you… but I had to see what kind of person you were. Would you help a child in need, or go your own way. We had to test you."

"_Test me?!"_ Katarra growled angrily, suddenly her rage grasping at her like the heat of a fire. _"Test me how exactly!?"_

"We had to see if you were a good person."

About to bite back another angry retort, it took a moment for Katarra to realize the significance of that phrase. _"You understand me after all, then?"_

"Yes." Shiree smiled apologetically, spreading her hands. "I'm sorry, again."

Katarra sighed, and closed her eyes, feeling her anger boiling around her far too strongly. Calm center… calm. She opened her eyes, keeping her anger in check and instead of speaking angrily as one of her kind might in this situation, she stared accusingly up at the human. _"Tell me the truth then."_

Shiree slipped back down into the co-pilot's seat, folding her hands in her lap as she leaned forward to meet the angry wookiee's gaze. "Understand I did this not with a desire to anger you, but because we had to know."

"_You said that. Who is 'we'?"_

"Well…" Shiree smiled slowly. "…the fact is, 'we' is someone who is very interested in meeting you." That made her stiffen with alarm. Had they found her then? Was her cover blown? Shiree must have sensed her alarm, for she lifted a hand quickly to stop Katarra from rising. "Before you say anything, allow me to explain, please. I know I haven't earned your trust today with this, but let me at least say my part before you get the wrong impression." Katarra narrowed her eyes, but sat back down in the small seat, and waited, fur still bristling on her neck despite the urge for patience.

"Thank you." Shiree said softly, smiling warmly. "I appreciate the chance." She paused a moment, and when Katarra didn't move, she continued. "The reason I'm here is not because I crashed on accident, but on purpose. I crashed here in order to find you, actually." Katarra's eyebrow lifted but she said nothing to interrupt, so Shiree continued. "I had to make it convincing, rest assured that blood was mine I brought along as a prop. Word has gotten out about your deeds, not all of them good, but all of them significant. A white wookiee with a thirst for vengeance and a dislike of the Old Empire. A wookiee who did not murder and kill, but enacted a good beating before dumping criminals off at the local authorities. A wookiee who has a bounty on her head more expensive than half the crooks out there. No matter who you ask, you have left quite an impression. We know that you've been running and keeping ahead of bounty hunters, and wouldn't come if we sent an invitation. Which is why he wants to meet you himself."

"_He?"_

She just smiled knowingly. "He wants to help you. He won't cause you harm. He wants you to listen what he has to offer, and you are free to turn it down any time."

Katarra's fur practically bristled as her blood ran cold. Someone powerful enough to be able to track her down was a dangerous man with a lot of money. She knew how these things operated. It was probably some crime syndicate wanting to hire her for her exemplary skills… but if that were the case why would Shiree mention her moral obligations of not preferring to kill? Perhaps it wasn't as dire as she thought, but Katarra hadn't lived this long on her own without being smart.

"He just wants to meet you. You're not obligated to do anything, or agree to anything." Shiree said softly. "But I wouldn't say no, if I were you. You've made quite an impression out there… and you'll need friends. Hear him out at least. It can't hurt, can it?"

Katarra frowned, staring out into the jungle through the window. Could it hurt to hear what this man had to say? She was certain that she had nothing of interest to him, other than perhaps her infamy. Perhaps he just wanted to make an alliance. As Shiree said, it couldn't hurt to hear him out if this were the case. She was low on friends at the moment.

But it still made her nervous. Who was this mysterious person?

She studied the small woman, whom she knew had to be older than she appeared. No doubt she had expertly piloted the ship in such a way that had been convincing enough to indicate a crash. This woman alone was no one to trifle with, but Katarra had seen no weapon on her before, and still none now. If she wished to trick or trap her, surely some kind of weapon would be called for, even for self-defense. She had seen not even a simple knife.

"You can bring whatever weapons you like. Name the location even." Shiree said quietly, her green eyes calm and pleading. "If you even prefer to speak over the comm., I'm sure he will oblige though he would like to meet you in person."

Katarra sighed, and ran her claws through her tangled fur. If this had been a bounty hunter, she would have liked to think that they would have been more cunning than to send a defenseless woman to fetch her to a meeting where she was invited to bring weapons. She made up her mind. If she didn't like it, she would leave. She was no one to trifle with, after all she was a wookiee. Nonetheless, the whole situation made her nervous.

Katarra was still questioning her decision to go through with it when their ship touched down on a very unstable platform several thousands of units away from their blast-off location. As Shiree lowered the ramp, she smiled encouragingly at the wookiee. "I'll wait here. He's the only one here, you needn't worry."

Katarra still took her bowcaster.

It had been just over 30 years, and it was very difficult being back here again.

Katarra paused at the start of the walkway into the village, wood that was dry and creaked at her every step, overgrown with vines and moss from the mighty trees the walkway wove around. No other being larger than a mynock had passed this way, as the dust was undisturbed. There were small paw prints along the railings of small tree-dwelling creatures that had made this place home, but otherwise the eerie silence that pervaded the woods told her she was a stranger here. How different things were now from how they had once been. The last cheerful memory she had of this place was of cubs running and laughing, the market busy with trade, and strong warriors bringing home food for their families. It had been a cheerful place, and one that she remembered fondly from her youth. But the empty village sat a ruined image of the past before her now.

She could still make out a few buildings that had not yet given in to the decay of the years, though they were as overgrown with vines as the rest of the trees. But the basic skeleton of houses still could be distinguished if only by their general shape, not by wood frame. Her heart felt heavy as she slowly took careful steps across the walkway, each footstep light before she placed her full weight on it. With no care being given the wroshyr wood that made up the planks, they had become very dry and brittle, easily able to give way under weight such as hers. She wondered briefly how the much smaller human, at least she assumed he was human, had made his way through without leaving a trace. Perhaps he had come another route, as there were other landing pads available, if they still stood. The dust remained undisturbed this way, clearly he had not come through the village from the same direction as she.

She carefully picked her way through the overgrowth, finding it easier once she got into the thick of the village. Here the vines had overgrown so much they were supporting the walkway more than the exterior sections. She stepped from vine to vine, not having to worry about where her footing went. But no sooner than she had set foot around the corner than she froze. At first she wasn't sure why the hackles on her neck began to rise, and then her sharp blue eyes spotted movement. A man was standing with his back to her only less than twenty meters away... directly in front of what had been her own home, her family's own residence. She grit her teeth tightly, freezing in place as not to draw the man's attention. He didn't appear to be much of a threat at first glance, but a sharper look told her that the blaster at his side was at the ready. He was not a tall man, dressed in an ordinary orange jumpsuit that told her he had come here in a single seat fighter. He wore no helmet, obviously having left it back at the craft. His hair was a sandy brown, tousled and untidy, not neatly combed like a man in the Imperial Fleet might wear it. Though he had a blaster clipped to his belt, his stance was casual and non-aggressive, as if he weren't expecting any trouble. He hadn't appeared to notice her yet, as he continued to study the remains of the house, one of the only dwellings that had been preserved completely, standing almost as it had been, save a few patches in the thatched roof, and a few vines growing out of the windows.

Slowly, carefully, Katarra pulled her bowcaster free and held it before her as she slipped silently over the vines towards him. She expected him to turn sensing her presence, but when he didn't, she jabbed the butt of the weapon into his back. _"Don't move."_ She growled in a low throaty voice, warning the man. _"If you can understand me, lift your hands where I can see them."_

The man had frozen in place at the prompt, but then slowly lifted his hands so she could clearly see where they were. "I mean you no harm." He said in a calm mellow voice, much younger than she expected of him. "You may take my blaster if you wish."

Katarra glanced down at the weapon, briefly considering it. However, she had no reason to relieve him of his weapon as long as she had hers fully loaded in her arms. She took a step back, allowing him some space. _"Turn around."_ He did so slowly, keeping his hands out in a surrendered position. Blue eyes met with blue as they exchange gazes briefly. The man was middle aged for a human, and wore a calm smile without any sign of fear in his eyes. Either he'd been expecting her, or had nothing to fear form a fully grown and armed wookiee. Either way, it didn't ease her concerns. She stopped only a few feet from him, keeping her weapon fully trained on his chest. At this close range, a bowcaster would tear holes in him if she fired, and they both knew it. Still, he seemed unconcerned, keeping his hands lifted away from his weapon. _"What are you doing here?_" She asked suspiciously, blue eyes darting briefly behind him to the place she had once called home.

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but I was waiting for you." He smiled almost apologetically, a small shrug lifting his shoulders. "I can assume you are Katarra, right?" He grinned almost boyishly at her. "There aren't too many that match your description I'm afraid."

Katarra gave a small snort, not amused by his attempt at humor. _"I know you are here for that reason, I want to know why you are HERE." _She clarified, gesturing with a nod to the building behind him. _"Why did you choose this house?"_

"Ah I see." The man said, inclining his head slightly to the side. half-watching the house. "Well it is one of the only buildings untouched by age, I was curious as to why this was. In truth I haven't been here long, I was just curious. I didn't touch anything, you have my word." His expression sobered. "I know death is a very sensitive subject to your people and would not disrespect your customs by desecrating a site where death occurred."

Katarra frowned, but her bowcaster lowered a bit. Something about the man told her that he was telling the truth and meant no harm. But one thing did bother her. _"How did you know death occurred here?" _She asked softly, her gaze shifting back to the house and lingering on the empty shell. It stirred up poignant emotions within her and she had to look away before she could let them grasp control of her.

The man seemed to sense her feelings and spoke softly. "I apologize if I brought up unwelcome memories. It doesn't take much imagination to know what must have happened here." He hesitated. "May I put my hands down?" Katarra sighed and lowered her bowcaster completely, unloading the round and slinging the weapon back over her shoulder. She had a knife if she needed it, but something about this man calmed her. He took that as an unspoken yes, and lowered his hands, but did not let them drift near his belted weapon, keeping them in front just to ease her further. "As to how I knew death occurred here..." He took a few steps to the side and placed a hand on the tree, lightly tracing a deep scar that was ingrained into the wood. "This was not made from any blade, the edges are dull and smoothly polished, as if high heat struck here... but there are no scorch marks indicating a blaster either." He glanced up at her, expression gentle. "It was made by another means, and one that isn't typically used for good things." Katarra winced a little. He was right... and furthermore that meant he knew more about what had happened than she'd thought. Either he was very observant, or... She glanced sharply at him, studying him carefully. He was a fighter, and probably trained to notice such things. "Might I ask what happened here?" He said softly. "I don't wish to pressure you into revealing anything you don't wish to, but I would like to hear what happened in your own words."

_"You know what happened already?"_

"Somewhat." He admitted, shaking his head slightly. "I've heard the tales told by other tribes who had dealings with this village, but their tales were very deprived of details. No one witnessed what happened here, but there were ample rumors as to what they thought happened."

Katarra glanced to the building then back to him and frowned slightly. _"Why would you want to know such a thing?"_ She growled uncomfortably. _"It's hardly something that concerns you."_

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean I'm not interested..." He said quietly. "A great tragedy happened here, one that has never been fully explained as the single person who could tell others what happened has never come forth to do so..." His eyes were oddly knowing as they lifted to meet hers. "Such a burden must be difficult to bear. Wouldn't it be easier to have a friendly ear at least hear the story, so one other person might relate to you? To set the record straight and stop the rumors from growing?"

_"I have told no one because none would have believed it."_ Katarra stated firmly, gripping her fist tightly at her side, her eyes averted. _"My people would not have understood."_

"Perhaps it might be different. I'm not one of your people." He pointed out.

That much was true, obviously. Katarra slowly walked past him and strode towards the building, coming to stop in the doorway and staring in at the cluttered floor littered with vines and moss. Some of the thatched roof had fallen in and was carpeting the floor, hiding the evidence of what had once been a violent aftermath of battle. The floor looked pristine, but one small brush of her foot pushed the fibers aside and sent them tumbling down through the gaping hole in the floor. The man whistled low beside her. "Hadn't seen that there... Looks to be a long way down."

_"It was."_ Katarra said shortly, kneeling down to push enough fiber aside so they could see the dark shadows swallowing that which had fallen. _"A very long way."_

"But you didn't fall the whole way." The man's voice was calming, soothing, prodding for answers that she hadn't anticipated sharing, but felt compelled to do so anyway.

_"No...I didn't. I caught myself on a branch only a few hundred meters down."_ She said quietly. _"I climbed back up. By then, they were gone... and everyone was dead."_ She fell silent then, lost in the memories, staring absently at the dark hole before them, staring into the shadows, lost in their grasp on her thoughts. It was some time before her companion spoke, and when he did it was gentle, soothing, and understanding. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "No one should suffer such a loss as to lose their family."

_"What would you know of it."_ Katarra growled darkly. _"You have no idea."_

"Actually..." he said quietly. "...my family was murdered by the Empire. Had I been there at the same time, I too would have died." Katarra glanced sharply over at him, eyes wide. He smiled quietly, his own gaze sad. "I still question what would have happened if I'd been there that day. Their only crime was buying two droids with important information. They never even knew why they were killed. It was because of them that I took the path I follow now, that I joined the Rebellion." His gaze lifted. "But I also realized that while for a time I held myself responsible simply because I had lived, that my life was the gift that their lives allowed for. Mourning them did no good. Just because you an accept what happened and move on does not mean you will forget them, or what their deaths meant." He said quietly. "You cannot harbor vengeance for blood. Taking a life to make up for lost lives, is it worth it? Would it truly provide you with the satisfaction you seek?" Katarra frowned and looked away. "Sometimes justice is better brought about not by seeing an eye for an eye, but by thinking what those who were lost might wish to see their memories honored. Killing someone will never bring them back, it will not make up for the dozens he killed, it will only satisfy your need for vengeance, and then you are left with blood on your hands. It truly is not worth the price. Take it from me… I know."

Katarra shuddered. His words struck an all-too familiar chord within her. How was it he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking? He was right, though she longed to have his blood stain the graves of her family, her clan, what would that bring but mere closure to a lifetime of hunting? It would not bring them back, merely end the search with a life lost at her hands, something she had yet to do. As much as she longed for his death, to actually kill this man was not something she truly looked forward to, even had she the power to do so against his arcane magic. She shut her eyes, tightly gripping her paw at her side. _"I must see this through. The one responsible must pay for what he's done."_

"That may be so." The man said softly. "But is it worth killing for? Wouldn't merely bringing him for a fair trial before those whom he wronged, to hear what he's done, to tell your story before judges be better, to set the record straight, to tell everyone the truth, to see him sentenced and punished as society deems should be his retribution? Wouldn't a life in prison be more of a punishment than a quick death?"

Katarra growled and abruptly stood, turning from the small house and stomping away from the man. He didn't follow her, but she didn't go far. Once she reached the tree, she slammed her fist into it's trunk, and did nothing more than bruise her paw. Almost as soon as she had vented her frustration, she felt it deflate, strangely vanishing to be replaced with calm, her thoughts oddly clear. She stood there, leaning into the tree for its strength, the man's words running through her mind. He was right, logically. But wookiees didn't tend to think in logic, they thought with their hearts and emotions. Perhaps he'd known this, and why he'd tried to calm her with his words.

And perhaps something else.

She lifted her head, glancing aside to see the man had approached and was standing a respectable distance from her. _"You are not just a soldier, are you?"_ She asked, suddenly feeling tired and drained.

"You got me." He said with a small grin. "Sorry for not introducing myself." He offered a hand out to her. "Luke Skywalker."

Katarra grasped his hand in greeting, the hackles on her neck oddly quiet. Strange… and here she'd thought shaking hands with a Jedi would have been drastically different from that of any other man.

As it turned out, Luke Skywalker did not live up to the fearsome reputation that was told in the legends and tales of the Jedi. He was extremely normal in most ways. If it hadn't been for the fact she had the feeling he knew more than he let on, he easily could have been any fighter pilot in the New Republic. He didn't show her any proof of who he was, but she didn't need it. His words alone proved who, and what, he was. The Jedi were learned people, who believed in peace and harmony above all else. The tales of their battles were known too, but that was not what the wookiees revered in their tales of their history. The mysticism was skeptical, but the respect for their knowledge well-earned.

"I won't pry into your personal life already more than I have, but I must tell you that I wouldn't have come to speak with you if I didn't think it was the right thing to do. I've watched your deeds, spoken to others who have spoken of you, some not favorable, others who respect you. I feel you're a good person, you want to do the right thing, and you have morals, judgment for good. You help others without asking for compensation, and even when lied to you don't over-react as my friend Chewie might." He smiled fondly, provoking a smirk from Katarra in response. "You're the right kind of person who would be happy helping others, doing what you feel is right."

Katarra stared absently at the trees, watching a small sliver of light find it's way down through the thick foliage above, only to vanish swiftly as it had come. Her claws were digging into the railing as she held tightly to it, the tenseness of this situation like a weight on her shoulders. She still wasn't sure why he was here in the first place. He had talked about how he was impressed by her, how much he admired her character, but what did that have to do with anything?

She lifted her gaze to study the sunlight filtering through the foliage above, dancing in the small breezes that ruffled the thick branches high up. _"Why exactly are you here, Jedi?"_ She asked quietly. _"Why have you sought me out, why have you pried into my past? What do you hope to gain from this?"_

To this, he simply smiled gently and fixed her with a knowing look. "Because, Katarra. I was not sure until I met you, but now I am certain. Within you lies the spark of life that fuels all that the Jedi stand for. You are in tune with the force, and I would like you to return to Coruscant with me to learn the ways of the Jedi."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Trials and Tribulations of a Wookiee**

By _Nightelfcrawler_

_Author's Note: This is my first published Star Wars fic. The story does not mesh with any Extended Universe, but is rather my take on things that occurred after Return of the Jedi. This story focuses on my original character Katarra, and her life, more specifically crafted around the Star Wars Combine. Read and review if you like, but please no nitpicking, flames or grammar corrections._

**Chapter Two: Memories of Childhood**

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Screams. Flashes of light. Blood. Silence. A man's soft calming voice. Whispers in the dark.

Awareness came slowly through a thick fog. It was quiet here, calm, safe. Slowly, blue eyes opened drowsily. The room was empty, save for a woven wicker chair placed beside the piles of blankets where she lay snugly covered. The room was small and simple, the cloth hanging over the doorway preventing her from seeing beyond it. She could hear the distant rustle of wind in branches, the creaking of the wooden catwalks and bridges spanning the village outside, but nothing more. Slowly she sat up, the blankets falling back freeing her from their protective embrace. However the slight movement had attracted the attention from another source and seconds later the cloth at the entrance was pushed aside revealing a tall graying wookiee. She froze, frightened blue eyes meeting soft warm brown. A heartbeat later, relief flooded through her and she rushed to his warm embrace. "Uncle!"

"Shh, Katai, Little Moon, shh… I am here." The small wookiee cub with snow-white fur buried her face in her uncle's warm coat, gripping him tightly for fear of his vanishing from her sight. She cried into his fur, hot tears dampening his coat as he gently stroked her head. "Cry, my little moon, release the grief within. I understand." The cub did just that, holding tightly to him for support, allowing her emotions to pour out endlessly until at last there was nothing more to release. He gathered her gently into his lap, sitting upon the wicker chair and holding her tightly until red-rimmed blue eyes lifted mournfully up to stare at him. "I know, little one." He rumbled in a deep saddened voice. "I know. They were my family too. No one should have to watch their tribe give their lives so needlessly. No one should watch their family die." He stroked her cheek tenderly as the blue eyes trembled. "You may cry as much as you desire, my little one. Know that you are safe here."

"Where?" She whispered softly. Though she was barely old enough to speak, Katarra was bright and had learned quickly at a young age.

"You are in Rwookrrorro, little moon." He soothed gently. "You are at my home."

"How…?"

"You were brought here." He said softly, claws tugging at a small tangle, smoothing her coat out. "A friend found you and brought you to me. We have buried those who gave their lives." Her eyes lowered, filling with tears once more. "Katarra, little one… I know it is difficult to remember these horrible things, but I need you to tell me what happened." He lightly lifted her chin, but she still averted her startlingly blue eyes. "Please, little one. You are the only one left… Only you can right their names, set their souls free. Sing their songs for us, tell us what happened so they may rest." But the cub remained silent and refused. After a moment, he sighed and embraced her once more. "I understand, little moon. But when you are ready to talk, tell me, ok?" He gently stood, still holding her close as she refused to release him. "Now, let us get you some food."

He took her into the next room where fresh food was ready, and set her before enough to feed an entire army. The small cub idly picked at it without interest at first, but after her stomach gurgled from the enticing scents, she began to finally eat. He watched her for a moment before re-assuring her he would not go far, and stepping outside. True to his word, she could hear his voice rumbling as it spoke to someone else outside. He did not remain long. By the time she had eaten her fill, he came back inside. However, it would not be that day, nor the next that she shared her tale.

Some ghosts were best kept secret.

Nothing particularly changed over the years of Katarra's youth. While she was bright and intelligent, she was a quiet cub who did not seem to grow close to any of her own. It was not that she was an unpleasant young one, but that even the children heard the tales of what had befallen her village, heard what their parents passed on, that she was cursed, unlucky. At first, it seemed to bother the young cub that others avoided her, but as time had gone by she seemed to grow accustomed to it, and even preferred remaining separate from the others. Frodrrl watched his niece closely, spoke to her often. She was open with him, but no matter how much time he spent with her, she still refused to speak of the incident. The moment he mentioned it, she withdrew and spoke no further for the remainder of the day. He soon learned not to pressure her. She would speak of it when she was ready, not before. Days turned into years, and the small white wookiee cub grew older, smarter. Instead of playing with her fellow cubs she buried herself in tinkering with technology, inventing things and amusing herself by taking apart technology only to put it back together. She spent time in the forest hunting, exploring, learning her way. She became self-sufficient and able to move stealthily despite her handicap. She used cloth to hide beneath while waiting for prey, camouflaging herself and able to surprise the creatures she hunted who were used to spotting the other wookiees by their fur to begin with. Though her social life was stunted, she did not let her disability hold her back. Frodrrl was proud of her.

But though the fears about her were founded upon superstitions and ghost stories, that day Frodrrl began to question whether there was some unfounded truth behind their fears.

Unfortunately he never go the chance to find out.

The day began as any other did, calm and warm. Kashyyk summers were normally mild, but this one was a hot day, warm enough that some were wishing they could shed faster. Katarra rose and began to assist him with preparing their morning meal. He smiled warmly at her as she peeled the skin from the meat, preparing to roast it. "You are nearing your coming of age ceremony, little moon." Despite how she insisted he not use that nickname, he still enjoyed teasing her with it. She glanced once up at him and flashed a warm smile, before resuming her work. "Do you yet know what you wish to do one you are an adult? Will you stay, or travel?"

She didn't reply immediately, but then she didn't have to. He already had an idea what she planned. She knew she was an outcast here, she would not stay. "I have thought about exploring our world first." Came the soft response. He smiled. "There is much we still do not know about our own planet, I would like to uncover some of it's secrets. Perhaps then I will go and see the stars. I would like to find out what is out there."

"I do not blame you. I would have loved that opportunity in my youth. Things were not so easy then."

"Yes, uncle. You have told me of the life you have lead avoiding slavers." Her lips twitched with amusement. "This is the modern age, we have not had a raid in hundreds of years."

"Yes, I am well aware." He replied chuckling. "Young cubs think they can take on the world. But the universe is not yet friendly to us. I have heard dark rumors from traders as of late… rumors of war." Katarra slid the platter of meat forward and he snagged a cutlet chewing thoughtfully as he traded his prepared greens to her. "You must be careful when you leave our world. Some will not be kind to you."

"Uncle, I am well used to being the outcast." She reminded him not too subtly. "I will handle myself."

"I trust you, little one." He smiled in response. "I trust you."

Just then, there was a loud bang at the door as it was flung open, a breathless wookiee standing there. Frodrrl stared up startled. "What is it, Grozporin?"

"Men have arrived." He said wheezing. "They are armed. Demanding us all to gather in the village center."

"Men?" Frodrrl rose swiftly, Katarra stiffening behind him. "What kind of men?"

"Imperial Soldiers. And Trandoshans." The last word was said with a hiss and snarl to the throat. It was well known that not a single wookiee held love for their neighbors the trandoshans. There was a long bloody history of hatred there.

Frodrrl whirled and pointed to his niece. "Hide. Now."

"No, I wish to fight!" She protested quickly.

"No, you must hide, Katarra!" He insisted firmly. "They are here for no good reason, and if they see you, they will want you! History speaks of slavers that prize cubs with your fur!"

Steely blue eyes returned his gaze, shifting to Grozporin's only to waver as they returned to her uncle's. "I don't wish to be helpless! I stood by once, I will not do so again!"

"You must not!" Frodrrl grabbed her shoulders squeezing firmly. "You must run, flee to the Shadow Forest, they will not pursue you there!"

"But uncle…!"

"Shhh! They come!" Grozporin hissed crouching down. Both the others quickly ducked as heavy footfalls sounded outside their home. They held their breaths hoping the men would pass by, but there was no luck. A sharp rap on the door followed by a demanding voice speaking common. Katarra did not understand common, but it sounded threatening.

Grozporin glanced helplessly at the two, but Frodrrl snarled and shoved at his niece. "Go!" he whispered. "Out the hatch!"

Katarra turned to go, but hesitated at the door to their sleeping rooms, staring back helplessly at her uncle. The men chose that moment to break through the door, guns trained on every one of them. "No!" Frodrrl snarled jumping to his feet and positioning himself between the armored men and his niece. "Katarra, run!"

The men shouted something angrily, guns trained on him as he turned and rushed towards them, claws first, breaking their people's taboo in his moment of rage to defend the only family he had.

Katarra had to watch in horror as their weapons fired into him and he fell lifelessly to the floor, fur smoldering with the stink of burned fibers. "UNCLE!"

A sharp pain hit her chest and a strange numbing sensation filled her, but she refused to be balked and rushed at them, her mind a haze of anger and hatred. A second blast hit her in the same place and suddenly her legs buckled beneath her and the floor met her face unexpectedly. The last thing she remembered was looking up at the men, and thinking their white armor looked sinister covered in her uncle's blood.

A sharp blow to her temple jolted her awake. Instinct took over and she lunged wildly for whatever had struck her, only to find herself restrained by something cold and heavy. Cruel laughter rang in her ears before her eyes could focus, and another heavy blow struck her from behind. Her vision blurred as her head sagged forward, ears ringing. The voices retreated, still laughing as her ears began to clear.

"Are you ok?" Came a soft frightened voice at her side. Blinking blood back from her eyes she lifted her head slowly, feeling as if it weighed two times as much. The features of the wookiee next to her came into focus, a female younger than herself, and frightened. "They woke us up the same way… but they hit you hard. You're bleeding."

Katarra blinked her fuzzy vision, trying to push thoughts through her head. "Where…where are we?"

"On a ship." Another voice answered somewhere behind her. She tried to turn her head, only to find she was somehow unable to maneuver it to get a glance behind her. Something was restraining her. "They've chained you up, just like the rest of us." The male voice continued, sounding rather irritated. If what he'd just said was true, Katarra knew why. "We're slaves now."

"Slaves!?" Katarra snarled, fury rising to her skin again, but it only lasted a moment before fading quickly. She felt extreme exhaustion set in, pulling at her like a heavy mantle.

"The stasis collars keep us docile. It's a waste of time to get mad." Growled the male, irreparably. "These ground-crawlers will pay for this… I will tear their hearts out!"

"Oh don't get your claws in a pinch." Snarled another male from across the way. "It wont' do us any good until we're sold. Then you can try to escape. We're not going anywhere while in hyperspace, unless any of you know how to fly a ship and overpower those pea-shooters of theirs."

"What are we going to do?" A female's fearful voice quavered. "What do they want with us?"

"I heard that the Empire took over… everyone is running now, afraid of what will happen. There is a war going on."

"They'll sell us on the black market. Probably have to work as slaves in mines… I heard they cart us off to places like Kessel."

"Where's that?"

"Not sure…"

"Will you all shut up, you'll get us in trouble!"

"Let them come, I'll tear their throats out!"

"You'll get us all killed!"

Katarra listened to the growls that sounded off all around her from her fellows and those who had been here longer than they, in one of the first few villages taken. She learned that theirs had been the last on the line and the ship was in hyperspace now, far from her home world headed to some unknown location. Her heart ached heavily for more than one reason. It had happened again: tragedy had befallen others because of her. She had been a prize to capture, as her uncle had warned and now he had paid for that with his life. She had seen him fall, there was no way he could have survived such a hit. He had not been stunned as she had been. Now he was gone to join her other family, she was alone. No one would come to save her this time… She closed her eyes and resolved herself to sit there calmly. The others had tried to escape with their strength and had not managed it, she would do no better. As the male had said, her best shot was to wait for the right chance to escape, and try she would. She would not allow anyone to cage her like a beast. But she had learned there were times for being smart and times for biding your time.

This was one of those times.

The trip was not uneventful. Their captors would come in and torment them now and them to keep them from dropping dead from grief. This usually involved pain on their behalf, and Katarra was not exempt even as she tried to behave and keep her head down. Overall it was the longest trip of her life. When finally they felt the engines shift out of hyperspace, everyone was on edge. No one knew where they were, or what would happen next.

They soon found out.

Not long after landing at whatever designated port they had come to, the doors were opened and their jailors emerged. They were not the white armored figures of the Imperial forces, but humans and trandoshans fully armed with their own weapons. One by one each wookiee was unchained and cuffed, then prodded forward with shock sticks close at hand. Katarra watched glumly as a few of her brethren tried to rebel, tried to run, and were shocked and beaten for their trouble. None were killed here, they were all to be sold, and killing one of their stock would lose the slavers money. It wasn't long before the men moved to Katarra's row and glared down at her. The human snapped something, grabbing her collar and snapping the leader chain onto the ring in front, pulling her to her feet roughly. Katarra bit back her pride and forced herself to remain calm, to not fight back. A rough jab in the back started her forward, stumbling a little to avoid falling as she was led out of the hold and up the hallway towards bright light streaming from an open doorway. She squinted suddenly as she stepped into the bright sunlight, unused to such intensity. She was roughly shoved again as she hesitated and hastened to walk in order to avoid another painful jab. As she walked she peered around discreetly.

Her heart sunk at what she saw.

It was a city, but not just ANY city… it was the largest city that she had ever seen, ever imagined, ever thought possible. Not a single natural thing was visible aside from the sun shining down. There were many shuttle transports on the wide landing pad with the others that had been unloaded first already filing into individual lines being sorted according to where they were going. So this was just a stop… Her heart thudded hard against her ribs as she realized she had no idea where she was, nor where she was going. As her steps took her out of the enormous cargo ship onto the landing pad, she nervously glanced at the human that was sorting the line. He barely glanced up as she was brought to a halt before him. One glance had him marking his data pad quickly, speaking something without looking up again. She was pushed sharply and she started walking again. However instead of heading towards any of the individual lines to the shuttles, she found herself being directed towards the base of a tall tower directly in front of her. With a brief glance over her shoulder that earned her a smack to the head, she caught the gaze of one of those whom she had shared the bench with shooting her a hopeful gaze, before she was hustled through the door and into a narrow room. She had to duck a few times as she was led through hallways and doors, eventually being shoved into a tiny room with the slavers as the doors shut. Her stomach leapt to her throat as the small room MOVED, and it took her a moment of hyperventilation to realize this must be a repulsorlift of some kind. She had never been in one, but she knew how they worked. She swallowed nervously, realizing whatever was to happen, it appeared she might be staying here on this world. The thought did not bring joy to her heart. Such a world devoid of nature could be nothing short of misery.

The repulsor lift doors opened to a busy transport hallway. She was prodded sharply towards another repulsorlift, and they began a long series of transfers from lift to lift. Katarra began to wonder if at any point this would end, would her torment come to a stop? What would her destination be, a shadowed mine full of putrid fumes?

Therefore, it was to her surprise when they stepped off yet another lift to find herself in a very different place. It was a fine room lined with polished white marble, soft velvet draperies and a polished wood podium where a smartly dressed woman stood studying a data pad. As they stepped off the lift she looked up and spoke in a calm voice, her eyes studying the white wookiee with distaste briefly before returning to the men. A conversation ensued which Katarra pointedly ignored in favor of studying her surroundings. The room gave her no indication where she was, but from it's fine trimmings she assumed it was a place belonging to someone of wealth. What she knew of humans tended to pin them as preferring to flaunt fancy imported products, showing off their wealth with greed. To her eyes, this place reeked of it.

Her eyes slipped sharply to the woman as she moved from behind the podium and approached her. Cold dark eyes stared at her as if she were a piece of furniture. Katarra felt her hackles rising as the woman circled her, only to speak to the men. Something was exchanged, and the men bowed then turned for the lift. Surprised, Katarra glanced to the woman who was holding the controls for the collar now, and eyed her disdainfully. She pointed to the door and spoke sharply, walking to the door opposite the lift and opened it. When Katarra didn't immediately follow, a sharp stinging pain of electricity slammed into her neck. She snarled, but quickly moved to follow, knowing well what that meant. She glared sharply at the human woman, only to receive another sharp shock and sharp words. The woman glared at her haughtily, and gestured for her to walk. Katarra did so, feeling exposed and vulnerable as she strode down the corridor like a displayed animal. The corridor was just as ornate as the entry room had been, lined with plush carpeting that absorbed her footfalls, decorated with intricate paintings, vases and sculptures. It was quiet in here, too quiet. Once they reached the end of the corridor however, things changed. The path took a twist opening up into a very large mezzanine level. Here there was a clear glass lift connecting all the levels, five in total, a cascading waterfall spilling from the glass atrium on the upper level down to a wide pool on the bottom, filled with glowing crystals of soft hues. Briefly dazzled by the scene, Katarra hesitated in her step. This earned her another sharp jolt provoking a small whimper as she proceeded to move swiftly to the lift. The woman took her to the lowest level and marched her through a pair of double doors. She was then forced to stand as the woman went to the desk and proceeded to have a conversation with someone on the opposite end of the transmission. A few moments later the door opened behind her and a polished silver droid shuffled in.

"Greetings." The droid immediately said, addressing her. Katarra blinked, but stood straighter. Someone to talk to, droid or not, was better than nothing. "I am here to assist you with any questions you have on your new duty. Please refrain from asking questions at the moment. I will explain what you are to do here." Katarra frowned, not liking this development, but remained silent. She hated those shocks. "You are to be a personal attendant to Miss Jade Snow, heiress to the Snow fortune. I am to instruct you in your duties and explain the rules to you. The first rule you must remember is the Snow family does not like hearing your primitive tongue." At that, Katarra almost barred her teeth, but a sharp glance told her the woman was still watching. "You are to only speak it when inquiring assistance from myself or any computer programmed as a translator. You are to remain silent otherwise. You may not make eye contact with your human masters or fellow slaves. Any attempt at escape or ill will towards your masters will be met with severe punishments. Your first attempt will serve as a warning, subsequent attempts will be more severe. You are to serve as bodyguard, attendant and escort to Miss Snow at all times. This is an honorable duty, and if you provide well you will be rewarded with privileges. The Snow Family is very wealthy and reputable, and rewards their slaves when they behave as expected. You are being given a very distinguished opportunity, for one of your kind. Not many have the chance to serve the nobles. You would do wise to respect that." Katarra frowned and glanced at the human then back to the droid. The way it spoke, she didn't trust asking it anything revealing. It might have been programmed to report anything rebellious. She couldn't risk that. So, she remained silent. "If you have no questions, I will escort you to the slave quarters where you will be given garments and cleaned before being brought to your mistress." Katarra averted her eyes, and made no comment, to which the droid turned to the human and supposedly told her the wookiee was being co-operative.

So then began her life as a slave. She was led down the lift to lower levels that extended beneath the ornate waterfall. There she was scrubbed down none too gently by some more druids, shampooed with foul smelling chemicals and combed harshly to shed any loose fur. It left her feeling violated and raw, though her fur was as clean and bright as the moon. She then had to endure the humility of being forced to put on a long white robe of some frail silk. Clothing was not something wookiees enjoyed. Some wore belts, vests or other tools, but it was unnatural to chafe the fur by wearing clothing. This robe was at least not uncomfortable, but for one used to wearing nothing at all, it was uncomfortable.

Once she had been bathed she was fed a simple diet of some kind of gruel that tasted like boiled bark beetles. It was horrible, but it did ease the knowing at her gut. She had not eaten in days now, and was feeling weak. Perhaps that was their plan, to weaken her in order to keep her more docile. It could backfire, as wookiees hungry often had foul tempers. But then, these humans seemed not to care about her culture. The ornate palace-like apartments of her new owners lost it's appeal the more and more of it she saw. It was all the same, foreign and too fancy for her tastes. Nothing natural grew here, not even a fragrant flower or budding tree. Nothing to remind her of home. She was caged in more ways than one.

Her mistress turned out to be no more than a child. She was an attractive child, for a human, but Katarra knew upon first meeting that her treatment would be no less severe than the servant's had been. She was treated as a beast, less than them. Those who saw her glanced once in her direction before ignoring her completely. She was nothing more than background noise.

Her first attempt at escape earned her a week without food locked in a small room where she couldn't stand upright.

Her second attempt earned her the same room with a sonic pulse pounding her head with painful high-pitched frequencies, and the same week-long treatment.

Her third attempt earned her a savage beating, and a month of that treatment.

Each time she made the attempt, she learned the weaknesses of their system: there was none.

The Snow Family was indeed rich and powerful. They had the best defense systems, the best surveillance, and the best hired help. Each attempt she tried a different method of escape, but no matter what she did, the thing that stopped her each time was the control collar around her neck. Any time she got too far away from its home signal, it sent a dehabilitating shock that knocked her out cold until they retrieved her. There was no getting around it, no attempt at sabotage worked, she was essentially stuck.

And so… Katarra waited. She waited, watched and learned. She stopped her escape attempts, and she pretended to be broken, to be a dutiful slave, obeying every order, treating her masters with respect, and it was soon that they forgot her initial rebellious attitude, soon that they gave her freedoms, soon that they treated her as a trusted servant.

It was this that aided her to finally break free.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Trials and Tribulations of a Wookiee**

_By Nightelfcrawler_

_Author's Note: This is my first published Star Wars fic. The story does not mesh with any Extended Universe, but is rather my take on things that occurred after Return of the Jedi. This story focuses on my original character Katarra, and her life, more specifically crafted around the Star Wars Combine. Read and review if you like, but please no nitpicking, flames or grammar corrections._

**Chapter Three: From Slavery to Freedom**

- - - - - - -

"I entrust you to guard the ship while I am conducting our business." Jade said primly, finishing applying one final spray of adhesive to her already tightly primed curls. "I shouldn't be long, these Aldereaanian politicians are such a boring lout. Far too peaceful, they want to chat for ever… I hope to avoid that and conduct our business quickly in order to do some sightseeing." Her sharp green eyes slid to the tall figure shadowing her. "If you're good I may let you tag along. It's been ages since you stretched your legs on a good walk, isn't it?"

Katarra didn't answer. She knew better than to show any kind of response when Jade asked her a question. She was expected to simply listen. And she was very good at doing that.

"Very well. Watch the ship. And keep C-1 out of trouble? Last time he wandered off and got all muddy. I'd rather not have to have him buffed up again once we return home." Katarra bowed once to her mistress in acknowledgement as the young woman rose, her gauzy gown flowing gracefully around her slim form. Without so much as a backwards glance, she strode down the ramp and made her way towards the waiting transport vehicle awaiting to take her to her meeting. Katarra watched at the open doorway until she had vanished around the corner before relaxing.

"Well, some peace and quiet will be welcomed, don't you think?" C-1 muttered, shuffling out from the shadows of the hull. "Mud on my chassis, humph!"

Katarra chuckled and gave the droid a wide grin. Of all those whom she had to work with, somehow she enjoyed the protocol droid the most. Programmed to be a translator and dignitary, he had quiet the attitude, but he was at least one that had not been programmed specifically by the family, but bought to fill a roll. Therefore he was like her, loyal only so much as he had to be, and rather mouthy when he could get away with it. They had many a long conversation to chuckle over between them.

Which is why Katarra regretted what she was about to do.

She turned and made her way back into the ship, the droid shuffling behind her, babbling as he liked to do. "Really, Mistress Snow has gotten more and more insufferable over the years, if I may say so. She used to be quite pleasant, now she simply insults me whenever she can."

"_If you didn't trip over every ripple in the carpet perhaps she might not need to."_ Katarra pointed out.

"It's not MY fault that I was assembled with two left feet!" The droid protested huffily. "I suppose that's why they got me on a discount rate… Really, it's embarrassing."

Katarra chuckled again and squeezed her way into the cockpit, flipping some switches to supposedly do some diagnostics. It was routine, normally. She had been flying the personal transports for nearly twenty years now for the snow family. She knew this shuttle and how it worked like the back of her paw.

She also knew some of the secret places she had purposely altered.

Her paw reached beneath the console and found the wires she needed, pulling lightly on them. As she yanked a small panel clicked open at her other hand, and the small pistol fell into her hand. She glanced back at the droid. She had a choice here. If she chose her initial plan she would probably get away without much incident, though have left the only one close to a friend she had. If she chose the second option she might have companionship, but might have the issue of being tracked and twice the chance of being recognized. Her heart ached at the thought. Perhaps if she offered a choice…

She turned, the pistol concealed in the folds of her robes. C-1 was babbling about the vastness of the lake by the Royal Palace, the lake where their mistress currently was. With a sigh, Katarra growled. _"Shut up a moment will you?" _C-1 blinked, but did so, fixing her with a puzzled tilt of his silver head. _"Now listen close… do you want to get out of here?"_

"You mean go for an unauthorized stroll? Goodness no, I would be deactivated for certain!"

"_No…"_ Katarra said patiently, lowering her voice despite the fact it was highly unlikely that anyone near even understood her language other than the droid. _"I mean leave. Permanently. Escape."_

C-1 straightened up in alarm. "What?! You cannot be serious." When Katarra didn't break eye contact, he began to fiddle with his fingers as he often did when uncomfortable. "Dear me… you are serious. Oh my… that is quite risky, you do realize we will both be terminated if caught?"

"_Likely. But if we're going to be caught, I'd rather be blown up into pieces than go back." _Katarra growled firmly. _"So I need to know…"_ She pulled the blaster and aimed it right at C-1. _"Are you with me, or do I stun you and dump you out to say I took you by surprise?"_

C-1 appeared even more distressed. "It goes against my programming to wish to leave my mistress. I simply cannot agree to this."

Katarra sighed. She'd been afraid of this. As much as the droid grumbled and groused, he was property, and not given the amount of free will she herself had. _"Very well then. I'm sorry I have to do this." _She lifted the blaster and the droid skittered back trying to voice a protest, but had no chance as she fired directly into his soft wires exposed at the neck. His eyes went dark and he crumbled to the ground. She sighed, lowering the gun. It wasn't enough to damage him permanently, as weapons were strictly monitored here. She'd had to construct a low-power electro pulse gun that wouldn't set off the alarms, yet still be strong enough to disable him long enough. Fortunately, it seemed to have worked. The droid was off-line. Katarra moved swiftly. The gun was useless now, one shot, one hit. She grabbed the droid and slung him over one shoulder, pocketing the gun and swiftly made her way down the ramp. She dumped him behind some cargo containers along with the gun, then swiftly made her way back up the ramp and began the launch sequence.

The trick to this was most planets had some kind of defense network where trying to illegally launch a ship would draw attention.

Alderaan was a peaceful planet. They had no such sophisticated system. They had alarm systems for attacks and basic defense craft, but the illegal launch of an unscheduled and diplomatic shuttle leaving the planet would not be enough to arouse suspicion until she had gone to hyperspace. Or so she hoped.

Katarra quickly fired up the hyperdrive, beginning to calculate the co-ordinates as she started the engines. Her heart pounded wildly as she punched the launch sequence and began to lift from the landing pad. The comm. crackled with a query that she ignored, the tower already asking what she was doing without broadcasting an exit protocol. She focused instead on forcing the engines to their full power, blasting up towards the upper atmosphere. No ships pursued her, though the comm. crackled more insistently. Seconds passed, minutes… then she was out of the troposphere as crystal clear stars shone brightly before her. Alderaan's moons were rising, brightly glowing on the horizon as she soared out of the planet's atmosphere, one step closer to freedom.

Katarra remembered wondering as she pulled the hyperdrive, whether she hadn't been paying attention to her history lessons. But the thought was gone in a heartbeat as streaking blue light replaced the view out her window as the ship leapt into hyperspace.

Still, days later she would realize the importance of the fact that that day, Alderaan had possessed one too many moons.

Katarra was barely aware her hands were gripping the controls tight enough to make her fingers tingle. She had done it… she could hardly believe it. The adrenaline was pumping so hard through her ears that she could hear nothing of the engine's normal whine, nothing of her heavy breath, nothing of the silence of having no one near her. She let out a small whimper of sound, and in that instant it was like a dam burst. With a mighty roar she howled loudly, her anger, pain, grief and glee all pouring out in one enormous venting. She surged to her feet and in one swift motion ripped the foul silk robe off, shredding it into tiny pieces and to add further insult, stomped on it. She knew her face couldn't possibly grin wider at this very moment. That is unless…

She turned and pulled out the mirror her mistress had kept so vainly, tilting it so she could get a good look at the control collar. Jade had stopped using her remote ages ago. She'd been sufficiently convinced Katarra would have never done what she'd just done, leave her high and dry. Of course, the family would be notified the moment she knew the wookiee was gone. Which is why Katarra had set a course for the closest shady place she could find. But first… She stared at the collar intently. If she couldn't get this off before arriving, she would be in serious trouble. Fortunately her nigh thirty years in service to the Snow family had given her not only ample chance to study her own, but to get her hands on some unused ones and tinker around. She knew exactly how to get it off. The trick would be doing it without sending an unwelcome dehabilitating pulse that would effectively end her escape. Carefully she pulled out the narrow pair of pliers that Jade used to pluck her eyebrows and began to tinker. It took her only five minutes to do, but those five minutes felt the longest five of her life. At last, the metal band depressurized, and she felt a cold draft waft against her neck as she tore it off in a hurry and flung it into the bulkhead with fury. The thing crumpled at her blow, dented and now useless. She rubbed her neck, feeling the tender raw flesh that had been deprived air, the fur matted and thin here.

But she was free.

Free at last.

By the time the Snow family heard of their missing shuttle having turned up, it was halfway across the galaxy deep in Hutt space. No one had made an effort to report the shuttle immediately, as the family had not thought to place a bounty out, merely notify the Imperial authorities. Kashyyyk had been their first thought, but the shuttle had not appeared there. No, the shuttle had been located at Nar Shadda. And there was little chance of them ever discovering where their runaway slave had gone from there. Katarra had vanished like a ghost, like her name spoke of her.

- - - - -

The universe was a much bigger place than she'd imagined. Granted, she'd known it was big, she'd studied the star charts, she'd seen the list of habitable and non-habitable planets, bases and outposts.

That still didn't mean she knew squat about the galaxy.

From Nar Shaddaa to Mos Eisley to Junction Station, Katarra took transport after transport, using her meager credits to buy her way on ships, working hard to earn more credits while she traveled, with the understanding it was all under the table. Of course, she couldn't be completely certain tongues wouldn't wag, so she bought some dye at one of the outposts and did something that she ultimately despised: dyed her fur brown. It was very odd seeing coppery fur where white had been, thinking she was merely a normal Wookiee. Not too many people paid her mind after she did this, and she could walk freely without her cloak, but every waking moment she loathed the need for the disguise. Still, it was refreshing to feel 'normal' for once. No bounty hunters would search for her this way, there were plenty of her kind out in the universe backwater planets, she'd come to discover. She was safe for now.

However, she found herself floundering for a lack of what to do with herself. Free at last, finally her trail well lost in the myriad of transports, with a new appearance, Katarra now had no clue on where to start looking for the one who had taken her family from her, the one who had made her an orphan. She had always wished to find him even as a child, planning to do so once she came of age. Now she was a grown adult and with no ties left to link her anywhere, she found herself lacking a starting point. She had no name, nothing to link him to anything she could uncover. She needed SOMETHING to go on.

She sipped her beverage, horrible tasting membrosia but at least it had a punch to it. She hadn't expected the bar here to stock anything more up her palate. It was crowded in Junction Station, many traders, mercs and other illicit dealers packed in for their meals. Fortunately no one thought twice about sharing a booth with a Wookiee. She was left in privacy, and if one glance didn't illuminate their noggins, the bowcaster strapped to her back reminded them who they were dealing with.

"Hey, get that pet off the bar!" Snapped an irate and rather drunk Corellian. Katarra glanced up towards the patrons, spotting the trouble right away. There was a small creature covered in soft fluffy fur seated on a stool, it's back legs holding it's front paws against the edge of the counter. As the voices raised around it, the small creature dropped back down, cringing, it's ears laying flat against it's back as wide black eyes darted around nervously. Now that everyone's attention was directed at it, the thing seemed to be frozen in place, alarmed at the raised voices. The Corellian wrinkled his nose and grabbed his glass, throwing it at the small creature. "Get lost, fuzzball!" The tiny furry thing darted off the stool, landing lightly on it's feet and scampered away as the man continued to hurl pieces of food after it. "Pest, vermin!" Surprisingly, the creature leapt towards the one place that might provide it enough shelter from the barrage of food and drink: Katarra's legs. It darted between her feet, and curled up in a ball sandwiched between her fur and the wall, and Katarra didn't budge, but turned her gaze challengingly towards the man, who balked with a fist of grilled giblets in his hand. Katarra barred her teeth, and he quickly turned back around, and forgot all about the furry creature. The bar was a hub of murmurs once more, as music resumed.

Katarra could feel the quivering of the small creature, as well as it's racing heartbeat. The poor thing reminded her of the tach from her home world. She didn't move, and let it continue to take refuge, feeling it's heartbeat slow to a less rapid pace. She had no idea how the poor thing got in here, perhaps an escaped specimen or someone's pet, but no one had come searching for it yet, so she wasn't about to chase it out.

However, what happened next surprised her to no end. "T…thank you…" Came a quiet whisper from somewhere at her feet, making her pause mid-sip of her drink. She glanced quickly down under the table, only to see the wide dark eyes of the small creature looking up at her with very obvious intelligence.

Well how about that.

She felt it quiver again, but it didn't seem to be as afraid, as it pulled away from her feet so she could see it better from her position glancing down at it. It's fur was pale white making it's dark eyes stand out even more. It quickly ran a small hand down over it's flattened long ears, and Katarra saw to her surprise that what might have been a paw on a small critter was actually dexterous little fingers much like her own, at a fraction of the size. It was no wonder the poor thing was frightened, being mistaken for a rodent when instead she was an intelligent, if small, creature. Katarra merely gave a low growl to acknowledge she'd heard it and returned to her drink. A few minutes later, tiny hands pulled the creature up onto the seat beside her, hidden from view from the rest of the bar patrons. Katarra glanced down at it, curiously as it blinked up at her and it's tiny whiskers quivered as it sniffed the air. She glanced to her plate of food, not very tasty, but nothing exotic, and grabbed a piece of steamed vegetable and held it out to the small critter. It quickly blinked and snatched it eagerly. "Thank you!" It said in it's high-pitched voice as it nibbled the steamed vegetable. Katarra sniffed a bit, smiling as she finished with her fill, leaving more for the small critter. After it had it's fill, the small furry thing began to studiously wash its fur to clean up, before smiling up at her. "I'm Asani. And I owe you for helping me." Katarra nodded with a light whuff under her breath. It wasn't like she could share her name with the creature, whatever breed she was. It didn't take long, however.

Asani turned out to be very chatty, more than making up for the quiet wookiee. As it turned out, Asani was used to being treated as she had been in the bar. Her race were known as Kushibaan and were often mistaken for cute pets and sold as such, given most of them didn't speak Basic to defend themselves as intelligent. Asani herself had picked it up from the trader who had been trying to sell her, then escaped after she'd been sold, a story not unfamiliar to Katarra. Like the Wookiee, Asani had been traveling from place to place, with less results due to her little known and smaller than average race. By the time Asani had told her everything about herself, Katarra was feeling a camaraderie with the small Kushibaan. Fortunate for the two of them, it seemed they had a common goal. It was therefore a mutual decision for them to team up. Asani was quite knowledgeable about the galaxy, having traveled more extensively than Katarra herself had, and the wookiee provided the protection and support that the Kushibaan needed. They were a natural pair.

Besides, no one was about to comment about the furry 'headpiece' that the wookiee had decided to adopt. Asani blended in so well with her fur in her normal white coloring, it was quite overlooked half the time. The two made a good team, and it was fair companionship for an otherwise lonely mercenary life.


End file.
